As Legal Advocates, We Stand Ready to Fight Back Against Muslim Ban

STATEMENT: As Legal Advocates, We Stand Ready to Fight Back Against Muslim Ban

Let's call Mr Trump's latest executive order for what it is: an un-American ban on Muslims, including those lawful permanent residents who are our friends, our classmates and our coworkers.

Also targeted by this executive order are refugees fleeing for their lives from the devastating violence we have all witnessed on the news. These refugees were set to be resettled, to be welcomed with open arms as our new neighbors. They were set to be woven into our diverse community fabric, joining green card holders from their countries who have long called the United States home.

Yet on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, with the flick of his pen, Mr. Trump cruelly directed our airports to begin to turn back refugees, visa holders and green card holders from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Mr. Trump has also directed our country to turn its back on our centuries-long practice of offering safe haven to those being persecuted, and to turn a blind eye to the safeguards provided to all who reside in the United States by our Constitution.

We will not condone hate masked as policy, and we will not allow this administration to poke holes in the protections afforded by our Constitution. The executive actions of the past week alone have signaled a full-scale attack on immigrants, refugees and other marginalized groups, and we as legal advocates stand ready to fight back.

Below is a preliminary list of resources and organizations serving these communities; please share widely.

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, law enforcement, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC’s mission is to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities. www.ilrc.org.